'HIV' Needle-Wielding Thief's Partner Captured: Cops

A Chicago man wanted in connection with a botched Walgreens heist was captured but his alleged partner in crime—who jabbed a worker in the face with a supposedly HIV-infected needle—remains at large.

Nelson Rivera, 33, was charged with retail theft, burglary and a parole violation in connection with the Christmas Eve caper at the 498 N. Weber Road Walgreens. He was being held in lieu of $250,000 bond at the Will County jail.

A Walgreens customer spotted Rivera and fellow ex-con Jose Pagan, 32, stuffing cosmetics into their clothes and alerted the manager, police said. The manager reportedly enlisted the help of an employee and they went to confront Rivera and Pagan.

The two men tried to dump the cosmetics and run, police said, but the worker grabbed hold of Pagan’s arm. Pagan then claimed to have HIV and thrust at the worker’s face with a syringe, police said.

The needle did not seem to break the worker’s skin but Rivera and Pagan still managed to escape, police said. They made a break for it across Weber Road and disappeared.

While the worker let go of Pagan when he was hit with the needle, he still held onto the crook’s coat, police said, and officers found Pagan’s cell phone in one of its pockets. Police said they used the cell phone to identify Pagan and Rivera.

Both men live at 4321 S. Wolcott Ave., police said.

Pagan got out of prison in May. He did time for a Cook County theft conviction. Rivera was released in April. He was in prison for theft and drugs.

In addition to charges of burglary and retail theft, Pagan was also hit with one count of aggravated battery.

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